Article 77

Aids shall be compatible with this Treaty if they meet the needs of coordination of  transport or if they represent reimbursement for the discharge of certain obligations  inherent in the concept of a public service.

Article 78.

Any measures taken within the framework of this Treaty in respect of transport rates  and conditions shall take account of the economic circumstances of carriers.

Article 79

1. In the case of transport within the Community, discrimination which takes the form  of carriers charging different rates and imposing different conditions for the carriage  of the same goods over the same transport links on grounds of the country of origin  or of destination of the goods in question shall be abolished, at the latest, before the  end of the second stage.

2. Paragraph 1 shall not prevent the Council from adopting other measures in  pursuance of Article 75 ( 1 ).

3. Within two years of the entry into force of this Treaty, the Council shall, acting by  a qualified majority on a proposal from the Commission and after consulting the  Economic and Social Committee, lay down rules for implementing the provisions of  paragraph 1.

The Council may in particular lay down the provisions needed to enable the  institutions of the Community to secure compliance with the rule laid down in  paragraph 1 and to ensure that users benefit from it to the full.

4.The Commission shall, acting on its own initiative or on application by a Member  State, investigate any cases of discrimination falling within paragraph 1 and, after  consulting any Member State concerned, shall take the necessary decisions within  the framework of the rules laid down in accordance with the provisions of paragraph  3.

Article 80

1. The imposition by a Member State, in respect of transport operations carried out  within the Community, of rates and conditions involving any element of support or  protection in the interest of one or more particular undertakings or industries shall be  prohibited as from the beginning of the second stage, unless authorized by the  Commission.

2. The Commission shall, acting on its own initiative or on application by a Member  State, examine the rates and conditions referred to in paragraph 1, taking account in  particular of the requirements of an appropriate regional economic policy, the needs  of underdeveloped areas and the problems of areas seriously affected by political  circumstances on the one hand, and of the effects of such rates and conditions on  competition between the different modes of transport on the other.

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